This invention relates to a video and audio sampling device and more particularly to a multi-station video/audio distribution apparatus for sampling video/audio material such as video tapes and laser discs.
Few, if any, retail video stores or rental video stores offer actual video sampling to the user. As such, a video consumer is left to rely on those films they have seen in theaters or on television as reference in their purchasing decision. However, a large number of video consumers do not go to the theater to watch films, e.g. parents who have small children at home or those who simply cannot afford to go to the theater. These consumers are left to rely strictly on television for reference in a video purchasing decision. The problem is that only select films are shown on television further, many films are released straight to video and thus, are never shown on television or in the theater. Moreover, there is often quite a lag between the time a film is released on video and shown on television. The result is that the video consumer is left with no reference and no guidance in deciding what films are appropriate to purchase for themselves, family and friends.
Most retail and rental video stores do have a video playing while the consumer is in the store. However, this video is selected by store management and not by the consumers themselves. Further, a single video can take up two to three hours to play allowing the consumer to sample view only a single video. Additionally, the video selected is usually in the main stream of pop culture leaving those consumers that are interested in foreign films, documentaries, and older films with no reference at all.
The same is true of retail music stores. Few retail music stores allow test sampling of the compact disks and/or cassettes that they sell. Thus, a music consumer is left to rely on the radio stations to first hear what may be contained on a compact disk. Radio stations, however, generally play only one selection from a compact disk that may contain ten or more musical selections. The result is that a musical consumer buys a compact disk based on the one selection they have heard only to be disappointed by the additional selections which are not equivalent in quality or are not to the liking of the consumer. After repeated occurrences of the aforedescribed situation, the disappointed consumer will inevitably meet a level of frustration at which point they will buy only a compact disk containing a single selection, at much lower cost than the album compact disk, or will stop buying compact disks altogether. In either situation, the profits of the retail music store are reduced.
Those retail music stores that do allow test sampling, do so by actually opening a compact disk or cassette and inserting the cassette or disk into the player for the consumer to hear. Generally, the store is limited to one or two players and the retail store will only open those disks which it believes will be popular and will sell. The limitations are thus apparent, a retail music store may be full of customers yet only one or two may listen to a musical sample. Further, those consumers that are interested in non-mainstream music are left in the cold with no opportunity to sample their preferred music.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an apparatus that will allow a number of consumers to simultaneously view samples of different videos in various areas of interest and/or will allow a number of consumers to simultaneously listen to different types of disks of all types of music.